On Friday 29 November, a carefully selected group of finalists in the Interior Design Excellence Award (IDEA) Colour category gathered for lunch around the private dining table at Pincho Disco, Collingwood. Hosted by Designer Rugs, who have returned to sponsor the Colour category, the event was the perfect way to celebrate this renewed relationship and develop new ones. 

For more than 30 years, Designer Rugs has been an integral part of the Australian and global design industry. Few other companies work so closely and directly with designers and artists. For this reason, Designer Rugs’ return to sponsoring the Interior Design Excellence Award (IDEA) Colour category is a perfect match. 

Ascending the stairs to the private dining mezzanine space at Pincho Disco, guests were delighted to find a refreshing cocktail and an elegant long table, delightfully styled with clusters of brightly coloured cut-glass vases displaying a multicoloured array of freshly cut flowers. 

Once everyone had taken their seats, Designer Rugs general manager Caroline Edwards welcomed guests, sharing how thrilled she was to once again sponsor IDEA and wishing them all good luck for the awards, which were mere hours away. 

Australian Design Review (ADR) and inside magazine managing editor Jessica Agoston Cleary also wished the finalists good luck, noting how special it was to be able to gather together for a relaxing, hearty lunch in a space that is itself an award-winning project by Studio Tate — one of the talented designers around the table. 

As each delicious course was served – all expressions of Pincho Disco’s signature South American fusion of flavours and executed to perfection – conversation flowed freely. 

As you’d expect from a table of like-minded creative people, the chat was colourful, broad and genuinely interesting. Topics ranged from travel advice and must-see galleries and homes in Milan and Japan, to the challenges of dealing with tradespeople who aren’t as good at communication as they could be andthe incredible story of Designer Rugs’ collaboration with Swiss artist Franziska Furter on her work Liquid skies/Gyrwynt, which was part of the National Gallery of Victoria’s most recent Triennial. 

Furter’s original concept incorporated more than 300 different colours, and while Designer Rugs are the best at what they do, so many colours in one handmade rug are almost impossible. Over the course of many conversations and trial and error, the final piece featured more than 30 custom colours, proving that when creativity meets expertise, anything is possible. 

This is what IDEA is ultimately all about: bringing together the creativity of Australia’s best and brightest interior designers with the expertise of our sponsors. When they collide, the only limitation is imagination.